How to Build an Escape Room: 10 Hands-On Strategy Builders
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Alright, so after a week or so of digital games, it’s time to snap those kiddos back to the real world! This is when I like to introduce some hands-on, strategy-building games and activities that I’ve collected over the years. My goals here are pretty simple but super effective:
- Help students start thinking strategically and logically. The more puzzles they solve, the more natural this becomes.
- Get them thinking about puzzles they could create themselves (and don’t forget to keep track of those ideas in the class Idea Notebook).
Each year, I have a few go-to activities I love to use, and then I often switch things up with new finds. For example, this year, I found a clearance item on Amazon that turned out to be the perfect addition. I showed it to the class, and they immediately said it reminded them of that “test tube” app game. Perfect! It resonated with them. The “contraption” is essentially a structure made with dowel rods, wooden circles, and a frame. The class and I realized it would be super easy to turn into a custom puzzle—or even a maze! That’s exactly the kind of creative thinking I’m after with these hands-on activities.
Here are some of my favorite activities to get your students in puzzle-solving mode:
- Snap Circuits – If you can get a kit, Snap Circuits are fantastic for introducing kids to the basics of circuits in a fun, hands-on way. I attached the set I like, but you can also look at this beginner set.
- Lego Chain Reactions – This kit is great for teaching the concept of chain reactions, and it’s always a hit with students who love building.
- Mouse Trap – This classic game is another great way to illustrate chain reactions and cause-and-effect in a tangible way.
- Paper/Pencil Escape Rooms – Some printable escape rooms, like Zombie Teacher Escape Room, are a fantastic way to introduce escape room puzzles without needing a ton of materials. TPT has a bunch that you can either purchase or choose the free option.
- Set – I LOVE Set! This visual card game has been my warm-up activity for years because it gets students engaged in pattern recognition and logical thinking in a fun, non-intimidating way.
- Riddles – I’ve used an old-school MindTrap box, but you can find great riddles online too. Riddles challenge students to think outside the box, which is perfect for escape-room-style puzzles.
- Sudoku Puzzles – These are great because you can adjust the difficulty to suit your class. They’re also wonderful for improving concentration and logical reasoning.
- Logic Puzzles – These are a classic! They help kids practice deduction while building stories, which is a core part of escape room challenges.
- 3D Maze Puzzles – If you can find one of these, they’re excellent for spatial reasoning and fine motor skills.
- Tangrams – Tangrams or other shape-arranging puzzles can be surprisingly effective in teaching spatial awareness and problem-solving in a new way.
Spend a week or two letting students explore these activities and any others you’d like to add in. And as always, encourage them to jot down any ideas or inspirations they come up with in their Idea Notebook. This hands-on time is all about building the creative, strategic mindsets they’ll need to start designing their own escape room challenges!